Health & Wellness

Articles

Foods That Will Help You Sleep Better

For many people, sleep is elusive. And with the rise of smartphones, where so much is at our fingertips, unplugging is easier said than done. If you or someone you know is having a hard time getting to sleep, you may want to take note of the following foods that may help with getting more R&R.
Almonds – The magnesium and tryptophan found in almonds may help to calm muscle and nerve function and steady your heart rhythm. Enjoy a handful in the evening as a bedtime snack.
Bananas – Eating a banana may relax your muscles and nerves, thanks...

In-Season Eating Equals More Nutrition on Your Plate

When it comes to a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, Mother Nature is good to us and gives us great options, whether it’s spring, summer, fall, or winter. And the best thing about fruits and vegetables is that when freshly picked and in season, they’re at their peak in flavor and nutrition—which includes antioxidants and phytonutrients. With a little bit of menu planning, you can put the most nutritious foods on your plates year-round. In-season eating is easy to do when you know what fruits and vegetables grow during each season of the year.
Spring – When thinking...

Meatless Monday: Roasted Winter Vegetables

When there’s a chill in the air there’s nothing better than a hot meal. These Roasted Winter Vegetables complement a variety of meat, pork, and poultry dishes. And the colorful presentation adds pizzazz to the table. If you have never enjoyed these winter vegetables in a medley, now’s the time to add these vegetables to your grocery list. Loaded with beta carotene, calcium, copper, dietary fiber, iron, magnesium, and vitamins A, C and K (just to name a few nutrients) these winter vegetables will help you stay healthy.
Roasted Winter Vegetables
Ingredients
2 medium red beets, cleaned
2 medium yellow...

Help Lower Blood Pressure with These Six Well-Balanced Foods

Many people already know that by cutting back on their salt consumption they’re helping to lower their blood pressure. But did you know there are some foods that may help reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks? In addition to being low in sodium, these foods are also high in two of three power minerals: calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
The versatility of fat-free plain yogurt is impressive. Use in smoothies (for breakfast), use to make salad dressings, or use in desserts. Just one cup of fat-free plain yogurt offers up calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
Did you know that kiwifruit...

Four Healthy Holiday Hors d'Oeuvres

Whether you’re serving rich and seductive dishes that make people exclaim, “Oh I shouldn’t but I will!” or healthy appetizers and side dishes to balance out the main meal, the holidays are all about festive culinary presentations. If you want to serve up healthy holiday hors d’oeuvres, you’ll want to put these beauties on the buffet table. They’re too pretty and enticing to pass up. And they’re the perfect but not too many bites of decadence.
Grape and Parmigiano Reggiano Cups – Buy festive-colored foil petit-four cups. Clean and cut red seedless grapes in half, lengthwise. Place two grape halves...

Meatless Monday: Sweet Potato Bisque

It’s time to sweeten your savory menus by adding this rich yet healthy sweet potato soup to the mix. Most people associate this terrific tuber with holiday sweet potato casserole, but sweet potatoes can be prepared and enjoyed in so many ways, including baked, boiled and mashed, or fried. Sweet potatoes are loaded with beta-carotene and vitamins A and C. And some studies have shown that steaming preserves the anthocyanins found in sweet potatoes.
If you want to enjoy a simple sweet potato side dish, simply peel and cut a sweet potato into ½-inch slices steam for about 7 minutes....

Make a Healthy Cranberry Appetizer for the Party Buffet

Looking for a healthier appetizer to put on the buffet table? This sweet and savory cranberry tapenade favors health, and it is festive and full of flavor. Cranberries are loaded with phytonutrients: phenolic acids, proanthocyanidins, anothocyanins, flavonoids, and triterpenoids. A lot of these phytonutrients offer antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer health benefits. Cranberries are a very good source of fiber, manganese, and vitamins C and E and a good source of copper, pantothenic acid, and vitamins E and K. Mingled with additional healthful and flavorful ingredients, this cranberry appetizer is as delicious as it is nutritious.
Cranberry-Basil Tapenade with Chevre...

Why You Should Choose More Nutrient-Rich Foods

Choosing nutrient-rich foods over foods that are less healthy is easier when you know why you should be choosing them. In a nutshell, nutrient-rich foods contain many vitamins and minerals that help keep you healthy and help reduce risks for chronic diseases. But different nutrients perform specific tasks that may be of more interest to you, e.g., if you lift weights, you may be more interested in choosing foods that help muscle function and help give you more energy. And there are many food choices you can make to get a balanced variety of vitamins and minerals.
According to the...

Team Cilantro! This Herb Is Healthier Than You Might Think

When it comes to cilantro, either people love it or hate it. For some people, cilantro tastes like soap. For other people, cilantro is a must-have garnish. There are even some people who put fistfuls of this aromatic herb into soups.
Also known as Chinese parsley, cilantro contains a high amount of antioxidant content. The leaves have been found to have an antibacterial effect against Salmonella. And some studies have suggested that increasing consumption of plant foods like cilantro reduces diabetes, reduces heart disease, and reduces the risk of obesity, while promoting healthy hair and skin, boosting energy, and lowering...

In Season

Matters of the heart are always important, but especially so during the month of February. Not only is there Valentine's Day to think about, February is also American Heart Month. This is a good time to evaluate your food choices and the impact they may have on your heart. Fresh, in season fruits and vegetables are among the best choices you can make for your heart health.